WEST BANK, (PIC)
Israeli authorities released journalist Ali al-Samoudi on Thursday afternoon after he spent a year in administrative detention.
In the first images following his release, al-Samoudi appeared in severely deteriorated health, looking noticeably thin and exhausted, in scenes reflecting the harsh conditions he endured during his imprisonment.
Al-Samoudi said he was released from the Negev desert prison weighing no more than 60 kilograms (132 pounds), compared to 120 kilograms (264 pounds) when he entered, attributing the dramatic weight loss to the harsh living conditions inside Israeli prisons.
He described the prisons as “a real hell and a graveyard for the living,” saying that detainees face extremely harsh conditions affecting every aspect of their lives.
He added that prisoners are deprived of adequate food and basic necessities, noting that he was seeing himself in a mirror for the first time in a year.
Al-Samoudi also urged the families of prisoners to continue advocating for their loved ones and not leave them to face a harsh fate inside prisons alone, stressing that detainees are being stripped of both freedom and dignity.
Israeli forces arrested al-Samoudi a year ago during a raid on his home in the al-Zahraa neighborhood of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank, during which soldiers also vandalized the property.
According to available data, Israeli forces have arrested around 22 journalists since the beginning of 2026, including four female journalists, as part of what rights groups describe as a campaign targeting media coverage.
Reports issued by prisoner advocacy groups and the Journalists Syndicate indicate that, as of April, 44 journalists remain detained in Israeli prisons.
